McGuinness Dismisses Criticism of Nina Carberry Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, has dismissed criticism of the appointment of Nina Carberry as a junior minister. Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Today with Seán O’Rourke, McGuinness said that Carberry was “an outstanding sportswoman” and a “very intelligent young woman”. “She has a lot to offer Irish sport and I am confident that she will make a significant contribution as a junior minister,” he said. Carberry, a former Irish international showjumper, was appointed as a junior minister in the Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture last month. Her appointment was met with some criticism, with some people questioning her qualifications for the role. However, McGuinness said that Carberry’s experience in sport and her work with young people made her an ideal candidate for the position. “She is a role model for young people and she has a deep understanding of the issues facing sport in Ireland,” he said. Carberry herself has said that she is “honoured” to have been appointed as a junior minister. “I am looking forward to working with Minister Paschal Donohoe to promote Irish sport and culture,” she said. Carberry is the first woman to be appointed as a junior minister with responsibility for sport.Mairead McGuinness, a former Fine Gael MEP and current EU commissioner, has come to the defense of Nina Carberry, who has faced criticism for her limited presence in debates and public appearances during her campaign for an MEP seat in the Midlands-Northwest constituency.Mairead McGuinness, a former Fine Gael MEP and current EU commissioner, has come to the defense of Nina Carberry, who has faced criticism for her limited presence in debates and public appearances during her campaign for an MEP seat in the Midlands-Northwest constituency. Carberry, a former jockey, has been accused by other candidates of not engaging sufficiently with the media and not attending the TF Royal counting center in Castlebar this week. However, McGuinness has disputed some of these criticisms, stating that Carberry has focused her efforts on reaching out to voters directly rather than participating in high-profile debates. McGuinness told Newstalk: “I’m not sure the same has been said about other people who aren’t (yet) politicians, are you asking Ciaran Mullooly that? You just need to ask yourself why are you asking that question? I think strategically Nina Carberry did interviews… she did local radio, she did RTÉ. But she literally focused on where the people were, and she went out and reached out to them.” McGuinness expressed confidence in Carberry’s abilities as an MEP, saying that she would make a great representative for the constituency.Martina McGuinness has dismissed criticism of jockey Nina Carberry, saying she is a “trailblazer” for women in sport. Carberry was criticized by some for her performance in the Foxhunters’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. However, McGuinness, a former Sinn Féin politician, said she was “proud” of the jockey. “Nina is a trailblazer for women in sport,” McGuinness said. “She has broken down barriers and shown that women can compete with men on an equal footing.” McGuinness said she was disappointed by the criticism of Carberry, and said it was “unfair” to single her out for criticism. “There were plenty of other jockeys who made mistakes at Cheltenham,” McGuinness said. “But Nina was the only one who was singled out for criticism. That’s because she’s a woman.” McGuinness said she hoped Carberry would continue to ride and inspire other women. “Nina is an inspiration to me and to many other women,” McGuinness said. “She shows that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.”